This invention relates to tool-boxes, particularly tool-boxes adapted for use by the professional mechanic, such as the professional automobile mechanic.
Professional mechanics, particularly when paid a flat-fee for their work, seek to decrease the time they must spend on the job. A good tool-box can make a significant contribution to saving time by providing organized, at-hand storage of tools needed on the job. However, the number and variations in size and shapes of such tools present storage and retrieval difficulties. The weight and size of the tool-box has hindered its mobility. Moreover, the high cost of professional tools imposes a requirement for safe and secure storage. Meeting all of these requirements in a tool-box has generally come at a high cost.
The typical, prior art, tool-box preferred by many professional mechanics is known variously as a "roll-away cabinet", "roller chest" or "roller cart" (hereinafter "roll-away cabinet"), which is an enclosure about 31/2 feet tall mounted on casters and containing a plurality of drawers running the width of the cabinet. The drawers are typically lockable. Some of the drawers are of narrow height, for storing elongate tools such as wrenches and screwdrivers in a horizontal orientation, and some of the drawers are of greater height, for storing tools and supplies of greater bulk. Sometimes the roll-away cabinet is provided with a separable upper storage unit that runs the width of the roll-away cabinet but does not extend all the way to the front surface thereof, leaving a small ledge for temporarily placing items while working.
The roll-away cabinet possesses the advantage that it allows the tools to be relatively easily moved from one place to another, by rolling the cabinet. However, the cabinet also has some notorious drawbacks. It is difficult to keep tools, especially elongate tools, in neat order when placed in drawers, the tendency being to pile tools on top of tools. Further, it is difficult to maintain order as the tools are jostled about by opening and closing the drawers. Further still, the entire weight of all of the tools in the drawer must be carried by the drawer every time it is opened and closed. For this reason, roll-away cabinets are provided with heavy-duty drawer slides, which adds significantly to their cost. Once a drawer is opened for accessing the tools, the cabinet takes up more space. If the drawer is left open, it can be run into and thereby cause injury. Therefore, the drawer must generally be repeatedly closed and opened, making access to tools more time consuming and difficult.
Schmidt, U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,358 ("Schmidt"), proposes a TOOL BOX which addresses some of the above problems. Schmidt includes structures in the upper portion thereof for holding tools in designated positions. For example, a first row of pegs is attached to a back portion, the pegs being used to hold elongated tools which have apertures that allow them to be disposed about the pegs. An upper end of the pegs contacts or is in close proximity to a horizontal section of a cover when then the cover is in its closed position. Thus, an elongated wrench disposed about the peg is held in place and prevented from movement within the tool box because of the closure arrangement.
One drawback of the Schmidt device is that, unless it is placed on a work-surface that raises its height, the mechanic must generally stoop to reach the tools inside. Also, Schmidt does not propose a feature of the tool box that would facilitate moving the tool box from one location to another. In particular, if the tool box is placed on a typical work-surface it is not generally easily moved to another work-surface.
Boes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,659 ("Boes") proposes a TOOL CART which provides tool supports in a frame extending vertically from a generally horizontal work bench, and a wheel assembly. The wheel assembly facilitates moving the tool-cart from one location to another, though the entire weight of the loaded cart must be raised in order to tilt it so as to operably engage the wheel assembly with a supporting surface. The tool supports appear to be provided at a height sufficient so that a user need not stoop to reach tools stored through apertures therein. Further, the tool supports are enabled to pivot outwardly to an angulated position so that they may be positioned transversely of the frame. But while the angulated positioning in Boes provides for a degree of improvement in access to the tools, it comes at the cost of increased mechanical complexity. Moreover, to the extent that the tool supports are positioned transversely of the frame as proposed, a user standing in front of the work bench and wishing to remain there is required to reach over a significant span to grasp a tool. Additionally, this will generally make it more difficult for the user to pull the tool upwardly out of its aperture, to release the tool from the support.
Accordingly, there is a need for a tool-box that provides for portably and securely storing a plurality of mechanic's tools so as to maximize the introduction and maintenance of order in the stored tools as well as improving access thereto, at a minimum cost.